# Caesar begins the Gallic Wars (-58)

URL: https://history-france.com/timeline/-58-caesar-begins-the-gallic-wars
Location: Gaul
Categories: battle

Julius Caesar intervened against the Helvetii, beginning eight years of conquest. Within the broader Roman Gaul period, Roman conquest transformed Gaul through provincial government, roads, cities, citizenship and cultural exchange. The later empire brought Christianity, civil wars, frontier pressure and the rise of successor kingdoms. At this point in the timeline, the relevant governing authority is Roman Republic (Roman authority in southern Gaul). Caesar begins the Gallic Wars mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed. The event is positioned here so visitors can read it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion, culture and France’s wider international setting.

## Why it matters
Caesar begins the Gallic Wars mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed.

Ruler at the time: [Roman Republic](https://history-france.com/rulers/roman-republic)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Caesar begins the Gallic Wars](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Caesar+begins+the+Gallic+Wars&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Caesar begins the Gallic Wars](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Caesar+begins+the+Gallic+Wars)
- [Wikipedia — History of France overview](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_France)